Teens with zero desire to travel

[LyricalBoudicca]

Bit concerned that my 2 teens never express a desire to travel ever (NB they go abroad with me frequently but that’s always been down to me). They remind me of my grandparents who hardly ever left the county they grew up in which was probably due to lack of financial means. If I die I can see them perfectly content never to initiate a holiday. Has anyone else got teens like this? Or do mine have an unusual lack of curiosity?

Have their travels abroad been hotel/beach holidays or have they gone to places like Japan, Vietnam? If the former then yes that’s not necessarily going to whet their appetite for more of the same. If you can afford it take them somewhere that is a rich cultural experience or visually beautiful and different to home, to get those travel bug juices going.

It’s an odd thing to worry about as they are still teens. They will have opportunities to travel with friends and partners when they are older.

So just for clarity, your kids are happy and content in their lives and you don’t like that? Honestly, I give up.

I’ve lived abroad, speak two foreign languages and go to two or three other countries a year, at least one of which usually includes travelling around as part of the trip.

I do not understand people who harp on about travel and the need to see other cultures. I don’t think any of my travel has been formative in that way. In almost all travel, contact with normal people living that culture is pretty limited (how many travellers to the UK do you interact and share your culture with?).

Why is it better if you travel?

I “travel” because I enjoy it. If I didn’t, I’d save my money and get fulfilment elsewhere.

Indeed. Assuming this is even a genuine post OP will come back and tell us they are 13 and 14.

It’s certainly an unusual thing to worry about. If either of mine said they never wanted to travel abroad again I would just think, okay whatever you prefer. It would be very low on the list of things to actively worry about.

Yeah, but who wants a fat head?

@TheTattooedLady You do need to experience places and cultures to get the best out of your life. Reading a book or looking at a video simply is not the same. Exploring the uk is also wonderful but my dc had their eyes opened by going abroad and no AI. If you can afford it, it’s a wonderful education.

I Would have been amazed if my dc had not wanted to travel. It’s also a holiday!!

@LyricalBoudicca When you say they go abroad with you, is this to visit relatives? Is it the same place every time? What might enthuse them? Do they have hobbies? Interest in wild animals for example? What have you offered them?

Have to be honest, I dont get travelling & I wish I did.
My holidays are & have always been fly & flop.
I dont understand spending £££££ to go & touch the eiffel tower or whatever.

I travelled a lot in my teens and twenties. Less so now but still like it

however, very well educated dh has never been keen in the way I have, comes along happily enough but would never get round to renewing his passport unless I told
him to. Before he met me he had only really been abroad to see friends or family members who’d moved.

OTOH he is very interested in science and literature and performing arts so I can’t argue in any way that he doesn’t want to expand his mind!

I do find travel with the kids hard work so we haven’t travelled that much. Now they are teens we are managing trips to other European cities, the Alps, Iceland is next on the list-I really want them to have an appreciation of life beyond our little bubble. I hope they will have a general interest in the world (not necessarily travel) as they get older but this is absolutely not something that keeps me awake at night

Do they have any interests or hobbies? If they just sit in front of a screen all day and do nothing then I get your concern but if they just have different interests to you then YABU.

Don't need to travel abroad to experience other cultures. Just go to Bristol, Luton, Boston and some areas of London or any other big city.

Anyway, I thought these days travelling anywhere, even by car in your own country was the equivalent of setting fire to the planet. Perhaps the thought of travelling makes them feel guilty?

Certain acquaintances of ours certainly tried to make us feel guilty when we travelled across the US a couple of years ago. Oh, what about the damage to the environment from the long haul flight? The pollution from the fuel used going from place to place, etc. We still went and had an amazing time. Fantastic scenery.

I suppose it depends what you mean by travel. Does it have to be abroad? Or do they not even want to explore the UK?

I have many friends who have been to exotic countries but have never left the resort, sometimes choice, sometimes safety/advice!
I really dont understand why you pay so much to stay within a hotel resort, when you could experience basically the same, easily and much cheaper, closer to home.

Are you sure they are not just typical teens who are happy to let mum organise everything? When they are older and independent they might change.

Travelling only became a thing in the 1800s with train travel and that was only for those who could afford it.

It’s okay to love being at home, it’s not a crime.

Personally, I love to travel, but financially at the moment I can’t because I’m saving up for a bigger deposit.

I’ve also notice this. At that age I was really keen to see the world.

However with today’s generation they can see it all on their phones sadly, they can watch some influencer see every bit of the world so it removes the curiosity. Plus, also sadly, they’re now exposed to war/terrorism disrupting peoples travelling. A lot might feel it’s safer/less effort not to bother.

You experience a sanitised and acceptable ( money making ) version of a culture when you travel. That's not real.

It might be something they to come to later in life. I didn’t go abroad until I was 20 and had no desire ( or confidence) to travel anywhere.
Fast forward 20 years and my job involves a significant amount of travel and I love it!

I think you are very off being “concerned” about it

there is no rule or evidence to say that travelling is morally better than staying at home
perhaps they feel they do enough travelling
perhaps they despise the frequent flying
perhaps they see value in thing you miss

the need for constant stimulation and seeing new things isn’t all good - ca suggest a lack of completeness in your life - perhaps they see your desire to travel as indication you don’t like them that much

so many options here - not just “travel is good”

What do most people really see of other cultures when they go on holiday, though? It's not really curiosity about other cultures that drives most teens to go to Magaluf for a week with their mates, or even for a gap year experience.

Except on MN, where everyone's child seems to be a culture vulture and spends their holidays marvelling at museums and areas of outstanding natural beauty, most young people learn bugger all about other cultures, despite being, on paper, well travelled.

It's not helped by the fact that, what with television and the internet, the world is becoming more and more homogeneous. It's harder and harder to find people really living vastly different lives in areas where most tourists go. Yes, you could stretch out of your comfort zone and go beyond the usual hotspots, but that's getting harder and harder to do, and more and more expensive.

"It really does expand the mind, though."

There are lots of ways of expanding the mind. Travelling is just one of them.

My DC happily came on holiday with us up to early 20s.
DC2 travels a lot now, quite off the beaten track places.
DC1 would happily never go anywhere again although he does for his partner's sake go away sometimes though nothing cultural, more likely skiing or some other activity.
DS1 gets it from DH who would be happy living as a hermit and never leave the house.

I often think if people couldn't plaster their travelling/ holiday experiences all over social media, how many would still go?

"We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."

Yep. They might want to travel as they get older.